39 Decorating

We made it over to Lance and Lirael's, later than we planned, but only by a little.

"So I heard mom walked in on you and Sarina, " Lance clears his throat and flicks his eyebrows up at me, trying to be discreet as we hang up lights in the tree.

"Really? She came over and started telling everyone?" I whisper yell at him.

Lance laughs, "Your mom was more excited over the fact you have a girlfriend, dude. Remember, she's never met any of them."

"Because none of them were worth meeting before. I was going to wait till the day before the wedding to introduce her so she was prepared, but my mother came and dropped off a tote of Richard's stuff." I stick out my hand for more strands of lights to wrap around the tree. I finished wrapping the string as far as I could as Jim moved the next ladder over for me to move over onto. It was the quickest way we could move over without having to walk down and move the ladder every single time. While up in the tree I would screw in yellow painted screws to attach the hanging lanterns to later.

"You know it might be more effective if we group some of the screws together for the lanterns so we have a spot that's a little brighter. Also, who's Richard, I've never heard you guys talk about him before." Jim inquires.

"That's not a bad idea, we should run it by Lirael. Hold this for me Jim." Lance takes off to the house to ask the ladies while I'm still on the ladder.

"Richard is my brother that died when we were still in high school." I say quietly.

"Oh, I'm sorry. " Jim quickly says.

"No worries, Jim." I reach out my hand for the screw gun as Lance comes back out with Lirael.

"What is it you're suggesting, Jim?" Lirael asks and after some explanation she agrees with it on the larger portion of the limb. So we finish up and add the extra screws where we need to. The ladies start bringing out the lanterns and start setting them up so Lirael makes sure that she has enough for what she wants the place to look like.

She writes a list as she asks us about the electrical needs and lighting. "Which means eight more cords and enough stakes and heavy rug to cover over 200 feet...." She stops and turns to me, "Brian, what day are you planning his stag party? I don't want him tired the day of the wedding so it better not be the day before that."

"I'll have to get back to you later on that." I tell her, "I still need a head count."

"Okay, you'll need to get that from Lance."

I look around, "Where did he go?"

"Putting up the ladders with Jim. Can you help us take the lanterns back in?" I nod and grab the two tallest lanterns up by the gazebo and take those to the garage.

Once done with the lanterns, Lance started the barbeque and started cooking kabobs and we all sat back talking and having a good time. I got up with Lance to check on the grill to ask him how many of the guys he wanted at his stag party.

"I don't know, I just figured we shut the club down for the night and just do something there. Drinks are on me, but the entertainments on you. Whatever that may be." Lance shrugs and I just nod in agreement.

"You want another drink?" I ask him, noticing his glass low.

"Yeah, thanks man."

I take the glass in with me and Lirael joins me, "So did you get a head count?"

I laugh, "Not really...We're doing something at the club apparently. I'm in charge of entertainment."

Lirael smirks, "Entertainment? Like a stripper or a band kind of thing?"

I think about it for a minute, "A band, maybe a stripper for the single guys."

Lirael snorts, "A male stripper right? I think Scott, Simon, Jack and a couple of his work buddies are the only ones single. Most of them are gay." Lirael chuckles and we both pause and give each other a wicked smile.

"I've got an idea." We say in unison, making us both snort in laughter.

"Tell me what you're thinking and we'll collaborate." Lirael motions with her hand.

"Have a band, then later in the evening the strippers arrive a guy and girl. However, we have to blindfold Lance for his private dance, and its the guy stripper as a gag."

Lirael cracks up laughing, "As hilarious as that would be, I don't want either one of them bumping and grinding on my man." She starts bouncing a bit in excitement, "How about, I'm the stripper. I wanna see if he'll know its me, I'll change my voice and buy something special for the night."

"I think we can work with that. You can't drink, so you're not having a bachelorette party are you?"

Lirael shakes her head, "No, I'm having one. I'm just not drinking. But it'll be on Thursday next week since Friday is a holiday and we get it off. What day were you planning?"

"Then Friday night, since it's a holiday, I'll have time to take care of a few things." I inform her.

"What do you need to take care of? I can help out if you want?" Sarina's voice joins us and we both turn to look at her.

"We're talking about Lance's stag party. Just want to make sure there's everything there that we will need." I smile at her.

Lirael nods and takes Lance's drink from me, "I'll take that for you. I'll get back to you later about our .. plan." She winks, giggling and walks off.

"When's the stag party?" Sarina asks.

"Next Friday." I inform her as we join the rest who are starting to get served kabobs.

"What are you talking about your birthday?" My mom asks as we sit down.

My eyes widen in realization, "You're right it is my birthday next week, but no, we were talking about the stag party."

Sarina frowns a bit, "It's your birthday... well shucks. I'll have to do something Saturday for you I guess."

Lirael giggles, "He'll probably need you to nurse him back to health for his hangover."

"Oh, I hope not. I'd like to remember that night." I laugh it off. "Besides it's going to be a bunch of us guys and Simon and Scott scare me when they've had too much to drink."

Everyone bursts out laughing except for Beth, Lances mom, and my mom. They exchange looks and ask, "What's so funny about when they drink?"

"Mom, you know that they're gay." Lance points at me, "And they have a crush on Brian."

I get to eating my kabob and avoid the shocked faces of our mothers as everyone laughs at that fact.

My mother leans over the table, "Honey, I have to agree with you. I'd want to remember that night too if two drunk men had a crush on me." She winks and my jaw drops at what she just insinuated.

"MOM!"

Everyone's laughing now, so I toss an onion from my kabob at her plate. Sarina places her hand on my leg, squeezing it affectionately, even as she giggles with everyone else.

I love that sparkle in her eyes, that makes my heart warm with affection. I smile back at her and lean over and peck her cheek, making her giggle even more with a blush.

I start making the list with Lance on who is invited to the party, so I can start sending out the messages to those I have in my phone and Lance handle the ones that are in his. Sarina, Lirael and Kim are talking in hushed voices over at the gazebo, giggling every now and then. Beth and My mom are inside to get out of the afternoon heat of the day.

"So Lance, two weeks from now, you'll be getting married, does it feel real?" Jim asks, a knowing smile on his face.

Lance shakes his head, "No, not really. We have the caterer, the baker and DJ taken care of, I have to pick up our suits next week, by the way Brian." Lance nods towards me and I nod in understanding. "Even doing all this to set up... It all feels surreal."

Jim laughs, "I remember when I first met you guys, the way you'd look at her. I couldn't help but think to myself, 'he's got it bad', ya know. I look at you both now and I'm still saying it." He chuckles.

"Except now, it's 'they' got it bad." I add. Jim holds out his drink and we clink glasses and toast to Lance. "Have you told mom yet?" I clear my throat, so Lance understands my meaning.

Lance shakes his head. "We're surprising her day of the wedding. I went with Lirael to the doctor though and got to see it. Well, the heartbeat. It's a little thing still right now. That's the part where I'm stunned the most to be honest. I mean... I'm going to be a dad." Lance smiles, blinking and looking towards Lirael who catches his gaze and smiles back at him before returning her attention to the girls.

"I'm happy for you both." I say raising my glass back up.

"Here-here." Jim raises his glass and Lance joins as we toast again.

"So a stag/birthday party..." Lance smirks, "You want me to hire some entertainment for you since it's your birthday too? I'm sure Simon and Scott would love to.." Lance is cut off and bursts into laughter with Jim, as I flip him off and walk off to go check on my mother.